Ray J Acknowledges His ‘Crash Out’ Past as He Tries to Better Himself

Months after Ray J frightened fans with a grim prediction about his health, the singer is talking less about dying and more about changing how he lives. During a new appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” he acknowledged behavior he now considers unacceptable and said his children have given him another reason to reconsider the example they may eventually see online.

Sitting down with the morning show, Ray J discussed reconciling with his sister Brandy, his upcoming boxing match against actor Orlando Brown and the personal work he says has taken place away from cameras. As reported by The Root, Charlamagne Tha God praised Ray J for appearing noticeably calmer and more stable than during some of his previous visits.

“What’s crazy is that I looked at a lot of the tape and videos. I been in here focused, and I been in here crazy. Both,” Ray J said while reflecting on previous visits to the show. “And some of the crazy times I been in here was just unacceptable.”

His admission comes after months in which concern surrounding the 45-year-old singer repeatedly collided with unpredictable public appearances. In January, Ray J said serious heart problems had left him believing he might not live to see 2027, describing his heart as functioning at roughly 25 percent.

By May, he was back in a boxing ring against internet personality DeShawn Raw, better known as Super Hot Fire. The bout ended with Ray J being stopped, and he checked himself into a hospital hours later, adding another unsettling chapter after his earlier comments about his physical condition.

Weeks later, Druski turned those fears into an uncomfortable joke when Ray J surfaced at the BET Awards. Spotting him in the crowd, the comedian teased him about still being alive after publicly predicting he could die, even telling the singer that people had been praying and rooting for him.

Now Ray J is describing a different kind of reckoning. He told “The Breakfast Club” that instead of ignoring advice from people around him, he has been trying to move by faith, rely on God and consider perspectives beyond his own.

Looking back at what he called a “crash out campaign,” the singer expressed regret over how he handled himself and said becoming conscious of what his children could eventually discover online forced him to think differently. “I gotta make some adjustments going into this next phase of life,” he said.

Family has been part of that turmoil. Brandy publicly distanced herself from her younger brother earlier this year, saying there were things he had done publicly that she did not condone and that loving him from afar was best for her peace. Ray J later apologized after his reaction to comments involving Shyne and Mase, acknowledging that he had been “outta pocket.”

Reconciliation has since replaced some of that distance. During his “Breakfast Club” appearance, Ray J said he and Brandy had repaired their relationship, adding a deeply personal dimension to his effort to change course.

Another test is already approaching. Ray J is scheduled to face Orlando Brown in Atlanta on Aug. 15, months after the two traded insults during a chaotic promotional press conference for the fight.

What sounded different during the interview was Ray J's willingness to put responsibility on himself. Rather than dismissing the videos, feuds and behavior that followed him across the internet, he acknowledged what his children may one day see and described a man trying to leave some of his chaos behind.